


The Light At the End of the Tunnel

by im_the_death_of_a_bachelor



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2019-02-02
Packaged: 2019-09-23 04:56:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17073884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/im_the_death_of_a_bachelor/pseuds/im_the_death_of_a_bachelor
Summary: Gerard flees a life he can't bear to live through- never mind remember. He is discovered and accepted by the Iero family and Frank seems to be the only one who can keep the darkness at bay. (I lost motivation to finish this so use your imagination)





	1. The Meeting

PTSD- Post Traumatic Stress. I had never been diagnosed and I really didn’t want to go to the doctor to see if i had it. Tests weren’t really my thing. That’s probably why I had no issue packing my things and leaving the day I received my driver's license. I thought it would be easy to go, my family wasn’t helping me. However, the bright lights in my house did.

As soon as night came my possible PTSD began to kick in. You see, when I was younger my alcoholic mother would come to my room and beat me in the middle of the night in complete darkness. On my tenth birthday my father won the custody case for me and my brother. My mom was never heard from again. 

I left a good family, I know. But I didn’t like it there. 

“You’re too old for a night light, Gerard!” 

The light was my refuge. So the first night of my running away was a living hell. My headlights were not nearly bright enough. I could see the road, the vehicles, and pedestrians. The inside of my car remained as dark as my childhood bedroom. I stopped at the nearest McDonalds.

The place was empty. Probably because it was ten at night. Only an idiot would be out this late on a Tuesday night. It was just me and the employee. I walked up. It was a young, fifteen year old. I was jealous they had this job. I was seventeen and I just got the “ok” to drive legally.

I read his name tag and his name was Frank. I admired his pale features. I wanted to draw his face. I wanted to bring him to my school and use him as my model. His lip piercing stood out. He looked up and his dark hair whipped about.

“What do you want to eat?” his voice was cheerful, but you could tell he was hiding something tragic.

“Umm, a.. I-I want a number two,” I mumbled.

He smiled and put in my order. I sat to eat and took as long as possible so that it wouldn’t be that weird for me to keep staying there. Frank kept glancing at me and studying me. I thought it was because I was new here. I didn’t exactly know where I was, but I knew I hadn't been here.

“You from around here?” Frank finally asked.

“No.”

“Where you from then?” he came out from the counter and strutted over to my table. He held a drink in his hand and sat down across from me.

“A town a little farther south from here. In New Jersey.”  
Frank gave me a look that was rather insulting. “You know you had to have gone through at least three states. You’re in Connecticut.”

“Maybe I had started driving earlier than I thought.”

“Why are you so far from home?”

I gave him the look this time. He stopped asking questions for a moment. He took a sip of his drink and offered me some. I politely declined a motioned to my drink. He scoffed and gestured for me to move a little closer.

“I’m not exactly supposed to be drinking this here.”

He was drinking alcohol. Why didn’t he just say so? I nodded, understanding and looked outside. It was still dark. Yay.

“Why do you look outside all the time,” he copied me and began to look outside. Except he was searching for something that wasn’t there.

“To see if its still dark.” I sat back. His attempts to find what I was looking for had begun to invade my personal space.

“Are you afraid of the dark?” He teased.

I blushed and turned away, scowling. I didn’t like it when people did that. This kid was starting to get on my nerves.

“Ah, I didn’t mean to be rude. It’s okay if you are,” He leaned closer to me. “I just thought….I wanted to make you laugh. You’re not talking much, I just wanted to hear your voice.”

I turned with surprise. My voice? My mother used to say it was beautiful. She also gave me bruises.

“I’m afraid of it for good reasons.”

“I’m sure! But I really am sorry,” Frank began to get up and go back to the counter. I couldn’t bear the thought of being alone again. Despite his ability to increase my frustration at an alarmingly fast pace, I’d rather talk to him than be alone.

“Wait!” I cried. He turned a little too quickly. “You can stay and talk to me.”

He had a terrible poker face. I saw the delight in his eyes before even he could sense the emotion. He sat back down across from me again. He smiled at me and took another sip of his drink.

“Don’t you have school tomorrow?” I asked.

“It’s summer. Don’t you know? Aren’t you young- like eighteen?” He asked. A puzzled look spread across his face.

“Seventeen. And I’ve been homeschooled ever since I was ten.”

He nodded. Frank seemed to be an idiot and a wise old man all rolled up into one. It confused me and threw me off. Which one are you? You can’t be both, it's too confusing! 

The night went on like this. Small talk. His shift ended and he continued to sit with me for another hour. However, it was clear he was getting tired.

“You can go home if you’re so tired,” I announced.

“Nah, I don’t want to leave you here alone. What if the power goes out,” He grinned at me.

The most I could muster was a smile. That joke really wasn’t funny. In fact, it scared the living Jesus out of me. But I knew the kid had good intentions so I left it alone. When morning came he offered to take me to his house.

“There is no sense in leaving here if it's that far from whatever you left behind,” was his only reason.

What are you talking about? You can never get far enough from a problem!

We rode to his house. It was on Maine Street. The numbers were too small to read but it was plain and it was beautiful. His dad was at work but his mother was home.

“Hi Mom!” He yelled. When there was no response he ventured to her room to find her peacefully sleeping. She had features similar to Frank, but she looked tired.

“Will she mind I’m here?” I asked.

“I don’t know. But she is sweet and won’t be rude if she does,” Frank yawned.

He woke her up and explained Gerard’s situation. She seemed to understand that whatever he ran away from probably scared him; at least enough to go from New Jersey to Connecticut. Mrs. Iero sent Frank to bed and made me something to eat.

“What is your last name, hun?”

I shifted uncomfortably. She seemed smart, I could tell she was going to investigate me. Maybe even try to help me. But I went against my gut to not tell her.

“Way.”

She nodded. Mrs. Iero slid some food in front of me and watched me with satisfaction as I wolfed down the food. It tasted great. She showed me to a room that I could only guess was a guest room. 

“I have work but you’re welcome to stay for as long as you need to. Even if that is forever.” She left the room and Gerard dozed off. It was easy with the daylight shining in. If only his dreaming was as tranquil as his room.


	2. Day 1

The hallway had doors jutting out from the wall in different places. Every one of those doors were open. I was a little nervous to walk through it; the hallway never seemed to end. I swallowed my discomfort and walked. It was peaceful. 

“Gerard, what are you doing? Go back to bed before I shut these lights off.” a voice called.

Panic seeped in. The lights had to stay on! I began to run to the nearest door to take refuge in it. The room was dark, however. So I ran to the next. The light was on.

I dove in and the door swung shut behind me. Instead of landing in a bedroom, I seemed to be in a room made of glass and it had a giant light bulb in the center. The light was on and the light was marvelous.

“Gerard?” his father called. “Gerard!”

I scrambled to hide but his face appeared outside the room. He was a giant and I seemed to be as small as a germ.

“Gerard, we’ve talked about this. You’re too old for night lights,” his face disappeared and a hand came for the room.

“Wait! Don’t!” I ran to hide behind the bulb. The room shook and I felt it move toward my father and up. The bulb went out. I screamed. I screamed until I had no more oxygen left and even after.

 

I woke in a cold sweat. Gasping for air I looked outside. The sun was setting. This was bad. I turned on the light and closed the blinds. I went and hid in the blankets. I heard a light knock and then the door opened a little.

“Gerard? You awake?” Frank asked.

“Yes.”

“Want to eat dinner with us? You woke up just in time we’re eating in, like, five minutes,” Frank sat at the edge of my bed. I felt a jolt of fear. That was like when my mom would sit down, pull down my covers, get the belt….well that’s all I’m willing to remember.

“You ok man?”

“Yes Frank, I am ok. I just don’t want to impose,” I looked over at him. 

The disappointment slid away and his eyes lit up. “Oh you’re not imposing! My parents told me they’re happy to take you in for at least until you graduate high school.”

I was surprised by this. What kind of family takes in a random stranger? Of course I would graduate in less than a year if they put me into a school, but it was so generous it almost wasn’t human. 

“You and your family are too kind,” I looked over. 

He blushed and laughed. “That’s what people do for each other. We help a brother out!” He patted me on the back a little too hard and we went down stairs. 

 

“So, Gerard, where are you from?” Mr. Iero asked. 

“New Jersey. It was nice but…I had to go,” I replied politely. 

“Ever been to school, boy,” the man asked again. 

“Yes. I stopped though, when I was ten. I’ve been homeschooled ever since,” I explained. 

They nodded, as if agreeing on the fact it was already decided they would send me to a school if I stuck around long enough. Frank seemed too focused on his food to join in any conversation. 

In his defense, Mrs. Iero was a brilliant cook. Perhaps she was a chef? If not she missed her calling. 

“Would you like to go to school?” Mrs. Iero asked. 

“I suppose. I haven’t been in a while,” I looked down at my food. 

“You can stay here and go to school as long as you get a job and try to get back on your feet as soon as you graduate,” Mr. Iero said. 

I looked up in surprise. I couldn’t help but say “Why are you being so nice to me?”

Mrs. Iero chuckled. “Let’s just say I think I know your family from somewhere. And I don’t intend to force you to go back.”

She left it at that and the anxiety prevented me from asking more. I put my plates away and even did the dishes. These people were being incredible. 

Frank showed me how the shower worked. I turned on the water and turned it to as hot as I could bear. The warm water drifted down my back, soothing the scars on my back that still held the pain of betrayal from the one person in your life who should never hurt you. 

What if they do send me back? What do I do? I couldn't think anything but that awful thought. The anxiety got overwhelming and I began to cry. I put the soap down as the tears turned from drops to streams. I knelt to smother the sobs. 

“I can't go back. I can't, I can't, I can't,” I whispered. I shook my head. 

I finished my shower and went back to my room. I had to pass Frank’s and I saw him on his phone. I felt a jolt of jealousy. Who is he texting? Why isn't he talking to me?

I frantically swallowed the thought. I walked past his parents room and then I found mine. I opened my bag for a spare set of clothes and put them on. I put the towels on the back of a chair to start drying. I took out my own phone. I made it so I couldn’t be tracked, therefore no more data.

“If I knew running away was this much trouble I would’ve looked for a different solution,” I sighed.

I layed back on my bed and tried to doze off. “We agreed to let him stay, but I don’t think school is a good idea, dear.” Mrs. Iero stated.

“School will help him! A boy his age needs to get his education. Talk to his dad yet?” a male voice said.

I sat up. No, no, no! I almost ran to beg them not to tell them.

“I’ll email him if Gerard isn’t opening up. Gerard seems like a fine person, though.”

The voices moved and I could hear no more. I layed back down and covered my face. If I didn’t reveal to these people that I was a damaged person they would talk to my dad. But if I did they wouldn’t want me around and would send me back anyway. Perhaps it was for the better.

I heard one voice return. “I just don’t want the same thing to happen to this one as it did to the other kid six years ago.”

I didn’t know what to think. So I didn’t. I went to sleep and stopped thinking. I didn’t dream. And I didn’t wake up once.

 

The next morning was peaceful. I remembered where I was and I got up to see Frank and his mother sitting in the living room watching the news. I cringed. The news was just a person saying Good Morning and then listing a bunch of reasons on why it was in fact not. 

“Good morning Gerard!” Mrs Iero greeted. 

“Hey,” Frank said, almost lost in a thought. 

I nodded in greeting. I sat isolated on a couch by myself and listened to the news. I went through my mind trying to think of good ways I could be helpful around the house. 

“You guys eat breakfast yet?” I asked. Everybody shook their head. “I’ll go make something.”

I sprung up and breezily drifted around the kitchen acquiring the needed things to make a meal. Frank wandered in and sat at the little table in the room. 

“Watcha makin’?” He leaned forward. 

“Pancakes and bacon. You want something else?” I turned and looked. 

He grinned at me, obviously amused at what I was doing. Frank shook his head and got up to help. I grinned and laughed a little. 

“What?” Frank asked. 

“Nothing.”

He smiled awkwardly and we finished cooking. We brought the food to his mother and ate our own. The news as background noise. 

“I’ve made plans for Gerard. Frank please join us to help him feel comfortable.” Mrs Iero stood up and went to get dressed. Frank and I followed suit. 

 

“Where are we going?” Frank rolled down the car window and let the fresh air flow in. 

“To your high school. We’re starting Gerard there.”

“So why are we going there?”

“To give him a feel for it,” she looked over with a condescending look. 

I turned my head away from the front seat and began to get lost in thought. The conversation from last night swirled around in my head. Who was the first boy? How did they know me and my dad? How in the world did they have his email?! 

“Gerard?”

My thoughts were interrupted by Frank getting my attention. We exited the car and made our way to the school. The walk was incredibly silent. 

I ignored most of the tour. It was what I had imagined. Despite never having been in a school, I knew what to expect. I had friends who told me about it. 

Frank gave me little commentary here and they. Such as this teacher is awful or skipped his class once, never skipped class again! Frank’s thoughts about school were different than my old friends. I actually was almost intrigued to go. 

“Gerard will be started in a normal class with seniors. If he excels he’ll be placed in A Level classes instead of B. If not he’ll stay put. Good luck Mr Way,” the woman giving the tour concluded. 

It sent shivers down my spine. Did school really require luck? We went back to the house and Frank told me more about the school. 

“So basically I’ll be a junior while your a senior so we’ll have the same friend group.”

I sat up. “Aren’t you fifteen? Juniors are sixteen.”

“Birthdays in October. I’m in the younger group of my class.”

“That’s cool. I’m in the younger group too.”

Frank got up and gestured for me to follow. We walked out of the house and down the street we walked away from this huge intersection. I was disappointed, the intersection looked to hold more wonder. 

“We’re going to a friend’s house. I want you to meet them before school starts,” Frank decided. 

I nodded. I was nervous to meet them. I didn’t want to be judged like I was some freeloader. That’s not who I am. But I kept quiet. Frank seemed genuinely excited for me to meet them. So I put on a smile and went with it. 

 

“Gerard this is my friend Ray. Ray this is Gerard.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to post this chapter! I will try my hardest to post sooner.


	4. One Night

We shook hands. Ray smiled warmly at me and his curly hair bounced with each movement. 

“Frank texted me about you last night.” Ray winked at Frank as he blushed. “You excited for school?”

I noted the blush and filed it away for later. “A bit. Seems stressful though.”

Ray led us into his house. We seemed to be the only ones home. It smelt of vanilla candles and dryer sheets. It sounds weird, I know; but the combination was actually quite pleasant. 

We sat on the leather couch in the living room. 

“My parents are at work,” Ray explained. 

“Your parents are never home, Ray,” Frank laughed. 

Ray laughed but said nothing else. We all sat in silence before spending an hour or two making small talk. Ray seemed like a geeky person and I couldn't find an issue with him. Frank liked him so, of course, I did too. 

“You remind me of the last one,” Ray said as he seemed to slip into a memory. 

“No. He's nothing like him. He's perfectly fine and totally different,” Frank was on the verge of shouting. This other boy must be a touchy subject for him. 

“Ok, ok! Just don't get  _ too  _ attached.”

They were talking about me like I was a toy or a pet. I felt insulted and forgotten. My mind created more questions than answers. 

“Who is the other one?” I leaned forward and raised my eyebrows. Ray opened his mouth to respond but Frank beat him to it. 

“No one.”

I let it be for the moment. I could see this wasn't the conversation to have with Ray so I would circle back to it. The mood had dropped so we decided to go back to the Iero house. 

“Frank I think you're being silly. Just tell me,” I said. 

Frank sat onto his bed, clearly done with my questions. “Like I said, he was no one. I can't tell you anyway.”

“And why not?”

He sat for a moment debating whether to tell me, at least I hoped. But he didn't respond and simply walked out of his room to who-knows-where.  _ Fine, _ I thought. I could figure out on my own. Or I could ask Mrs. Iero. I had a feeling she would tell me. 

I marched down the stairs with a prepared speech. Then I stopped. I was a guest. I couldn't be this rude. Especially since it was only my second day here. I decided I would ask one week from this moment. If I was still here. The vibe I was getting gave a lot of mixed signals. 

The next morning Mrs. Iero was gone and Frank was already cooking breakfast. Mr. Iero as usual had went to work. I suppose being a Friday the man would be at work. 

“Hi,” I greeted Frank. 

“Gerard! Hey glad you're finally awake you sleepy head.”

“I guess I didn’t get much sleep last night. Had to make up for it in the morning,” I yawned. My body ached with sleep deprivation. I truly slept terribly. I had no idea who the last one was. He must’ve had something to do with me, otherwise Mrs. Iero would never had known I existed and wouldn’t have been as trusting.

“Why couldn’t you sleep?” He flipped a pancake with skill and grinned at me.

I pursed my lips, debating if I should tell him. I didn’t really want to while he was cooking. The thought of giving him motivation to poison my food upset me. “I’ll tell you when you’re done cooking.”

“Why?” He turned, almost quicker than he should have.

“Don’t want to distract you.”

“Oh.” He turned back to the stove and a moment later faced me again holding two plates. “Good thing I can finish cooking so quickly!”

He sat across from me and pushed my plate toward me. He had already set the table. He put syrup on the table and looked at me like a dog expecting a treat.

“I was thinking about the other boy.”

A shadow crossed Frank’s face. I regretted ever mentioning my sleeping problem, but he swallowed his discomfort and began to speak. “I’ve told you already, Gerard. Just drop it.”

“Look-”

“No, Gerard. Forget it. He doesn’t matter.” He put down his fork and left the room. I was beginning to feel awkward. If every time I tried to get him to talk about it, he shut down and walked away, how was I supposed to ever find out? I guess I would just have to ask Mrs. Iero after all.

I finished my food and decided not to bother Frank until he was ready to talk to me. I went around the house searching for something to do. I found a door and opened it. It was the entrance to the basement. I stood at the top of the basement stairs for a few minutes; debating whether to go down or not.

If I went down and saw a bunch of dead bodies, I wouldn’t be safe here anymore. If I found a regular basement I would have discovered the jackpot of potential.

“Gerard? Are you….snooping?” Frank walked around the corner.

“What? No! I’m just looking for something to do.” I shifted my weight and looked down.

He seemed to simmer down in the moment and his face softened. Then it returned to an angry scowl and he shut the door. “Good. Just watch TV like a normal person then.”

His words stung, even though he probably didn’t mean any of them. I followed him into the living room and we sat down. He flipped through the channels and ended up throwing the remote at me. 

“You pick something,” he sighed. 

I took the remote and flipped through the channels. I saw nothing interesting so I just put it on the news. He grumbled something and took out his phone. 

“What’s going on? Why are you so upset with me?” I put down the remote. 

“It’s nothing. Just- I can’t lie anymore Gerard. I want to tell you everything, but I can’t. I can’t tell you without breaking down. I just- I just-“

Frank began to stutter. I climbed over the couch and hugged him. My long arms wrapped around his small body. He buried his face in my chest and began to shake- on the verge of a melt down. 

“Shh, it’s ok Frank. I don’t need to know anymore. Stop thinking about it. We can just forget that he ever existed.”

He looked up and whispered in the most heart aching voice “But he did. And he made my world amazing. Then he left. Now you’re here. Don’t  _ ever  _ leave me like he did.”

One tear slid down his cheek and I wiped it away. He buried his head back in my chest and calmed himself down. He ended up falling asleep. I stayed there for a while, holding him. How could this boy have affected him so much? I promised myself I would never let him get so infected by my presence. 

“I’m sorry Frank. I should never have stepped into your life.” 

I carried him back to his room and put him on his bed. I shut the door and grabbed my bag. I made sure I had my phone and the charger. I walked to the door and was caught by Mrs Iero who had somehow gotten home without me hearing. 

“Off somewhere?” She asked. 

“I was.” I put my bag down on the table.  _ Shit. _

“You just can’t settle down, can you?” She placed a hand on her hip. 

“I don’t want to hurt Frank,” I whispered. 

“And what makes you think that you could ever do that to him?” She started to take off her coat. 

“I keep hearing whispers of another boy, someone who I’m similar to. I asked him. He shut down.”

“Ah, the other boy. Yes, well, that’s none of your business and Frank has a history with boys like you. It would be best if you let it be.”

I nodded. 

“So go back upstairs and unpack your things.”

I did as she said. And I fell asleep as soon as I sat down. We must’ve have missed lunch when we were bickering. I could only hope I’d wake up for dinner. 

“Gerard? Wake up. I want to talk to you,” Frank whispered in my ear, waking me from my nap. 

“Mhm?”

“I’m sorry for being an asshole earlier. I’m sorry I was such a fool,” He sat down next to my leg. 

“Don’t apologize for something that affects you so much. I shouldn’t have been as pushy.”

I sat up and looked at him. With my lights on it wasn’t hard to see the pain in his eyes. I grabbed his hand and held it strongly, letting him know it was useless to try and move. He was with me for the moment and that’s where he was gonna stay. 

“I don’t care about the other boy. You hear me? He. Means. Nothing. To. Me.”

He sighed. “I know you want to know. I don’t blame you, even though I’m sensitive. But he means so much to me. He means more than a bastard like him should.”

At the word  _ bastard  _ I sat up alert. “Bastard?”

“Bastard.”

And that was that. I could tell that’s all he came to say, even if he was aching to say more. I decided not to pry, but I wasn’t gonna let him go be upset by himself. He obviously lost a person he needed. I was gonna help him. Even though I was planning to keep my distance, I could spare a night and keep him company. 

I pulled him closer and hugged him. We lay down on the bed and I listened to his breaths slow, and soon they were even with a sleeping baby’s. I allowed myself to relax and fall asleep. I was blessed with the lack of dreams. 

I woke up to the smell of peeled oranges. I loved the smell. It reminded me of Mikey. I regretted leaving him back with my father. I can only imagine what he must be going through, losing me. I knew he was strong though. Unlike Frank, he could handle the loss of a piece of him. 

Sometimes that concerned me, though. Mikey was always a bit numb. Of course being strong is important, but losing somebody shouldn’t be as meaningless as it is to him. 

He wasn’t always like that. Before he reached ten he was a pretty cool brother. But sometime when I was twelve and he was ten something changed. Mikey went on some trip that made a lot of people angry. He came back one day, but he was different. He lost the soul that gave him life. People stopped noticing him, with his soul gone. He was just a ghost without his old lively ness. 

The scent of oranges grew stronger. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My posting time is fantastic, I know. I had to redo a lot from this chapter because I realized if I did this chapter wrong I could ruin plot.

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter was rushed, so please read the next chapter without deciding whether or not it sucks!


End file.
